From www.stuff.co.nz
Download source here

Dillon Boucher's signature has proved a costly item for the Auckland Stars and stirred debate among New Zealand's basketball fraternity.

The Stars have been fined an undisclosed sum after Boucher failed to sign the team's season roster before helping them to a 85-77 win against the Nelson Giants last Thursday.

NBL rules state a team fielding an ineligible player will be fined $1000 and forfeit any championship points from the match.

Several basketball sources told The Dominion Post yesterday there was a feeling Basketball New Zealand should have enforced the full punishment. The ruling has also been seen as a double standard after Tall Blacks skipper Pero Cameron sat out Waikato's game against Nelson two days later after failing to get a full clearance from his club in Iran. But BNZ chief executive Bryn McGoldrick said yesterday the two cases were "quite different" and he was satisfied Boucher was eligible.

"All that we had was some incomplete documentation which someone thought had made him ineligible. The team did get a bit of a fine, but it was really a formality. He forgot to sign a piece of paper. He (Boucher) was on the team's 12-man list (for the season).

"He was effectively eligible.

"With Pero, he did not have a clearance from Iran. Overseas players need a Fiba clearance and Dillon had that from the Brisbane Bullets."

McGoldrick said taking points from Auckland would have been an overreaction.

Nelson and Tall Blacks coach Nenad Vucinic said he had no problem with BNZ's decision.

"I was happy to see Dillon playing and I think taking the points would be too hard on Auckland, it would be ridiculous."